Frequent dreams (D0, The Starcross - Aphrs room)

[Aphr Ahaya]

Aphr had adapted a lot over the last four years. She had learnt languages, arranged deals, even kept a calm face when a blaster was pointed at her face. There was one thing in all her years she had never done.

She had never been late.

Her morning was carefully planned out - inspections of the cargo before breakfast, and preparing everything for Xierreau when he had awoken, even if he insisted it wasn't needed she knew better.

The cargo was unchecked, and when she should have been presenting breakfast to her boss and the crew instead she was perched on the edge of her bed, bowl of water sat in front of her. She splashed her face again, trying to shake the memories, but the dream lingered. She felt like the blood had splattered on her, yet she was clean. The laugh...it haunted her once more. She knew it, but why? Who was it?

"It doesn't feel like a dream anymore" she said quietly to herself, closing her eyes. Trying once more to push the dream from her mind, so she could begin her day.

[Xierreau]

There was a knock.

Yes an actual knock.

On the Twi'lek's door.

After a moment it is repeated again.

A soft voice speaks in Huttese "Oshi you alright in there?"

Is that concern?

[Aphr Ahaya]

There was a frown. Nobody knocked on her door! Then again, she wasn't often in her room, because she had...

A blink. A look at the clock.

what? That can't be the time!

"I'm ok!" She shouted quickly, moving to open the door. She hadn't changed from her sleep clothes she noted far too late, but ignored it as she smiled to the Hutt.

"Forgive me...I didn't see the time."

[Xierreau]

He smiles, he has a tray in one hand with food, and it doesn't look like the kind of food he eats either, there are a few fresh (uncooked) vegatables and fruits on it even, a bowl of ?oat meal?, and some sort of bacon-like jerky that appears to have been soaked in grease and reheated.

Apparently he did not get Dango's chef genes.

"It's ok your allowed to sleep in every once in a while, I brought you breakfast for a change of pace"

[Aphr Ahaya]

"Rewarding someone for not doing their job is something new" Aphr said with a small smile, accepting the food as it was offered "thank you for your kindness Xero. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. I just..." she sighed, looking down and taking a moment stop thinking about it! "I just didn't sleep well. I know it's not a good excuse, and I will doublecheck everything as soon as I can."

[Xierreau]

"You've been not sleeping well a lot... Did something happen?" he frowns "Was a boy mean to you?" he smiles "Do I get to feed a boy to the rancor when we get back?" he frowns "Was it one of the crew?"

[Aphr Ahaya]

"I'm not a child" Aphr replied with a shake of her head "the crew are always respectful and kind. It's nobody here. I...I've been having strange dreams, but I'm sure it'll go away eventually."

She wasn't sure, but if there was one thing she could do well, it was lying.

[Xierreau]

"No you are an adolescent bi-pedal girl I have read parenting articles on the holonet it says the five most common reasons for not sleeping are drugs, witnessing violent trauma, brain damage, psychic powers, and heart break. You are too responsible for drugs and to strong to lose sleep over seeing someone brutally murdered." he shrugs "If its not boys then did you hit your head?"

[Aphr Ahaya]

"You've...been reading up on what?" Aphr managed to keep calm at that! "I've not hit my head as far as I know "

[Xierreau]

"How to parent an adolescent bipedal xeno female" he says it like its the most common thing in the universe for a Hutt to do " Well you say it's not boys, we could always get your head checked when we get back maybe it's a brain tumor" he nods looking concerned "Can you describe these dreams?"

[Aphr Ahaya]

"I can...but not out here" Aphr relented "I don't think it's a tumour though. Please come in."

[Xierreau]

He slides in, closing the door and finding a wall to lean on, he does his best to smile and look intimidating, not like he could eat her in a couple bites.

[Aphr Ahaya]

The room was already packed up, ready for the landing. She sat on the bed, looking at the usually quite nice but now really scary Hutt.

"It's quite a bloody dream. I saw another Twi'lek, one wearing a mask, killing someone in cold blood with a lightsaber, laughing. The dream always ends before she takes her mask off, but it doesn't feel like a dream."

She sighed.

"And sometimes...I feel myself drawn to Nal Hutta."

[Xierreau]

He frowns "Your sure it was another Twi'lek, not you or a " he looks for the word "metaphore...stand in...proxy for you?" he sighs "Hutts don't really dream, it comes from having no primitive emotions like conscience or guilt, our subconscious never needs to talk to us that way." he hmms " Do you know where or what on Nal Hutta you are drawn toward by this murder feeling?"

He looks worried "You've seen death before Oshi was there a recent murder scene that was more personal to you then I realized, did you know one of the bounties we brought in recently?"

[Aphr Ahaya]

"I didn't think that it could be me" Aphr commented thoughtfully "but a lightsaber? Why would I be killing some woman with a lightsaber? I don't know where in Nal Hutta I'm drawn towards."

She looked to the Hutt.

"I've had the same dream for around three months. Less frequently before, but as these peace talks draw closers it's been more and more often."

[Xierreau]

"A light saber? Really? Have you ever seen one outside of those trashy propoganda vids? So I doubt it was you or any real trauma, maybe you've been watching to many trashy vids before bed?" he raises an eye ridge inquisitivly.

"If you think it's serious I can run you down to nal hutta after we drop the Jedi Farner off"

[Aphr Ahaya]

She felt like a scolded child.

"I have kept to my sleeping routine with no change for over a year. I'm much too busy to watch videos. And..." she looked down at her hands "I could feel the heat raidating off the weapon in my dream. I've never been close enough to one to feel it like that."

She looked back to the Hutt.

"We have so much happening with the peace talks. Many more deals that can be arranged. While I am happy that you would offer, do we really have time to humour my dreams?"

Another pause, before she added "do you know a lot about Nal Hutta? About its history?"

[Xierreau]

"If it's important to you we will go to Nal Hutta, job or no"

This is more of astatement then anything else.

"I know much of the place, it's history is my people's history, and it is the planet I was born on"

[Aphr Ahaya]

"As you wish" she lowered her head. The Hutts word was final after all "I promise not to be a disruption any more than I have already been today."

She paused as she considered what to ask.

"Being that my dream was very force based, is there anything regarding the force, jedi or sith, that happened there?"

[Xierreau]

"Your not a disruption" he shakes his head "when the Hutts repossessed Nal Hutta the Force and the Jedi and the Sith didn't exist yet" he thinks "That was about 37 generations ago, 12,000 republic years, about 10,000 years after the birth of the first great Hutt Empire" he waves his hand "in comparison this Sith-Jedi-Force nonsense is what? A mere 30 centuries old. If the force was a real thing the Hutts would have already found a way to sell it."

He shakes his head "There have been no major religious conflicts on Nal Hutta, no religious pilgrimage sites, nothing like that. There isn't even asignificant mineral deposit for those pretty crystals Jedi like. I am sorry I wish I had more insight for you. Maybe Galen or our passenger might know more? They are both religious types."

[Aphr Ahaya]

"I see" Aphr nodded, keeping her mental frown hidden "must be some other reason I feel a pull there."

I could talk to Galen...and keep it subtle. That would work.

She did chuckle though. "I'm not sure what the Jedi or Sith would think of 'selling' the force. Somewhere between offended or a scam I imagine. Still, our Jedi passenger has a peaceful aura about her, so there is that."

[Xierreau]

"My research says that many lesser races who have not exorcised thier consciences yet find religion as a good balm for feelings of guilt it allows them to do the things they want and blame a higher power instead of themselves or to refuse the things they want out of fear of the wrath of a higher power, being able to assuage themselves of such guilt does bring peace, the kind of peace Hutts are born with, by never having the emotion of guilt to begin with." he nods sagely "perhaps investigating such religions would make you feel better?"

[Aphr Ahaya]

Aphr took a few moments to consider that.

"I could...but I thought you didn't like these religions?"

[Xierreau]

He looks uncomfortable "Sometimes what I like isn't as important as what you need"

[Aphr Ahaya]

Aphr is always caught out in these moments , when Xierreau is less a boss and more like a parent, and yet again she doesn't know what to say. She goes quiet, looking down at her hands before eventually saying "I serve you my lord, I will do as you wish. If religion makes you uncomfortable I will distance myself from this and focus on my work."